Tapered container having slidable cover

ABSTRACT

A container having downwardly converging sides whereby other containers of the same size and shape may be stacked one within the other when the containers are not in use, each container having a slidable cover less than the top width of the container and having spring-biased projections along the sides of the cover for effectively widening the cover area at the top when the container is in its closed position.

Unite Mates merit 11s] mamrv Leali 1 Feb. 29, 11972 [54] TAPIEIRED CUN'KAIINER HAVING 2,351,597 6/1944 Burlin ..312/297 SMDAELE QUVER 2,555,705 6/1951 Schafer ..217/62 Inventor: Adelaide M1. Leal, 1105 Parsons Lane,

Fort Worth, Tex. 76106 Filed: Oct. 5, 1970 Appl. No.: 77,797

111.8. C1 ..220/41, 312/297, 217/5, 217/62, 220/97 R int. 1C1 ..1B65d 43/12 Field of Search ..220/41, 97 R, 97 F; 217/62, 217/124, 13, 5; 206/1316. 25; 312/296, 297; 160/ l 15 References Cited UNITED STATES'PATENTS Judge ....16 O ll5 Primary ExaminerRaphael H. Schwartz A1t0meyWofford, Felsman & Fails, William T. Wofford, Robert A. Felsman, James C. Fails and Arthur F. Zobal [5 7] ABSTRACT A container having downwardly converging sides whereby other containers of the same size and shape may be stacked one within the other when the containers are not in use, each container having a slidable cover less than the top width of the container and having spring-biased projections along the sides of the cover for effectively widening the cover area at the top when the container is in its closed position.

3 Claims, 41 Drawing Figures PATENTEDraaz 1972 3,645, 11 7 AM. LEAL 20 ATTORNEY TAlPlElltlElD CUNTAIINER ll'llAVllNG SLHDAELE COVER This invention relates to tapered containers designed to fit one within the other when not in use and has reference to a rigid container having a sliding cover.

Although containers having parallel ends which slidably receive opposite edges of a bendable cover in channels is old in the art, such containers of the same dimensions were not capable of being stacked one within the other for storage or transporting.

An object of the invention is to provide a rigid container including a slidable cover wherein all sides of the container are tapered and so arranged so that containers of the same size and shape may be at least partially received one within the other.

Another object is to provide a tapered container including a bendable or flexible cover having spring-biased laterally extending fingers along opposite edges for effectively covering the top of the container which is wider than the bottom of the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container having a bendable cover of sufficient transverse strength and rigidity whereby the containers, when closed, may be stacked one upon the other, even though they are reasonably loaded.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a front elevational view of a container, with the cover closed, according to the invention and showing, by means of dotted lines, a second container received in the first which is possible when the cover of the latter is open.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view, with the cover removed, taken on line 2-2 of HG. ll.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged broken vertical end view of thecover with the extensible fingers in place, and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a portion of the cover and showing springs for normally extending the fingers.

in the drawing the numeral it) generally designates a rigid container having downwardly and inwardly converging flat end pieces lll. A backwall 12, bottom wall 13 and front wall M are secured between the endpieces 111 and preferably have round corners where they join each other. The ends of the back and front walls 12 and M converge downwardly and inwardly and, in view of the described shape of the endpieces ill, the resulting container is of a tapered configuration. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper corners of the endpieces 111 are round. Also, it will be noted that in the construction shown the front wall M is not as high as the backwall 114 so as to provide front access to the interior of the container 10 when the cover, to be described, is open.

The cover 115 shown includes a rectangular sheet 116 of flexible material, such as low-density polyurethane, having molded transverse ribs 17 thereacross. Each rib 17 has a cylindrical opening llti therethrough to receive fingers 119 which project from the sides of the cover 35. A coiled compression spring 20 in each cylindrical opening presses against the inner ends of the fingers 19, but the lengths of the springs 20 are preferably v as short as possible so that the fingers l9 may be of maximum length and thereby provide as much transverse rigidity to the cover i5 as possible. The extending ends of the fingers K9 are round and are slidably received in grooved channels 21 in the inner faces of the endpieces 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the channels 21 extend from just above the front wall 13, around but spaced from the top and back edges of the endpieces and beneath the container bottom 13 to a location near the bottom of the front wall. The length of the grooves must be sufficient to allow the front edge of the cover M to be moved rearwardly of the top edge of the backwall l2.

Handgrips 22 on the outer surfaces of the endpieces 111 are located to prevent jamming when two or more containers M) are stacked one within the other. A padlock 23 may be provided for locking the forward edge of the cover 15 and the top of the front wall 14').

When sliding the cover 15, which is. as wide as the distance between the endpieces 111 at the lower portions of the channels 211, the spring-actuated fingers 119 engage the channels 2B at all times, although there are spaces between the edges of the cover and the upper portions of end pieces. The fingers l9 slide in and out as necessary, and not only engage the channels Zll, but provide an effective closure for the otherwise open spaces.

The invention is not limited to the exemplary construction herein shown and described, but may be made in various ways within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

ll. A container comprised of spaced endpieces, the opposing surfaces of which are flat and are downwardly and inwardly disposed relative to each other, the forward and rear edges of said endpieces also being downwardly and inwardly disposed, front, bottom and back walls secured between said endpieces and inwardly spaced from and parallel with the front, bottom and back edges thereof, channels in the referred to opposing surfaces of said pieces and extending at least along the top and back edges of the endpieces, a flexible cover of a width less than the distance between the top edges of said endpieces and resiliently mounted fingers normally extending from the sides of said cover, the projecting ends of which are received in said channels.

2. A container as defined in claim l and wherein the lengths of said channels along the back edges of said endpieces are outwardly of said backwall and wherein the height of said front wall is less than the height of said backwall.

3. A container as defined in claim l and wherein said resiliently mounted fingers are slidably mounted in transverse openings in said cover and have coiled compression springs bearing against their inner ends. 

1. A container comprised of spaced endpieces, the opposing surfaces of which are flat and are downwardly and inwardly disposed relative to each other, the forward and rear edges of said endpieces also being downwardly and inwardly disposed, front, bottom and back walls secured between said endpieces and inwardly spaced from and parallel with the front, bottom and back edges thereof, channels in the referred to opposing surfaces of said pieces and extending at least along the top and back edges of the endpieces, a flexible cover of a width less than the distance between the top edges of said endpieces and resiliently mounted fingers normally extending from the sides of said cover, the projecting ends of which are received in said channels.
 2. A container as defined in claim 1 and wherein the lengths of said channels along the back edges of said endpieces are outwardly of said backwall and wherein the height of said front wall is less than the height of said backwall.
 3. A container as defined in claim 1 and wherein said resiliently mounted fingers are slidably mounted in transverse openings in said cover and have coiled compression springs bearing against their inner ends. 